Microsoft Unveils New Xbox 360 Dashboard!

During their E3 Press Conference, Microsoft's John Schappert unveiled an entirely new Xbox 360 Dashboard system. The first major announcement concerned the introduction of player avatars into the Xbox Live experience. Avatars (Microsoft's response to Nintendo's Miis) had been rumored in previous months but now we know how much of the Xbox Live experience will include avatars.

- Players will be able to customize their avatars with "thousands" of items/clothing that can be won in certain games.
- The friends list will now be a 3D area where your friends' avatars will pop up as they come online. No word on whether you'll be able to move around in this space but that may be a possibility if Microsoft wants to have their answer to Playstation Home.
- Players will be able to start parties in their avatar forms where they can share media with friends as well as gather before entering a multiplayer game.


Microsoft's new direction appears to be centered around a casual appearence and they're pushing the 360 experience as "tailored for the living room". Schappert emphasized the simplicity of navigating through the new dashboard. Although this simplicity may attract a new audience of casual gamers to the Xbox 360, it remains to be seen how the new Xbox 360 Dashboard will be recieved by the hardcore gaming community.

Source: Microsoft E3 Press Conference